1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery coupler and, in particular, to a battery coupler which is used in a video tape recorder (VTR) integral with a camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
1 With the spread of a VTR integral with a camera, the use of a battery coupler has been popularized so that, even when taking pictures indoors or in the evening, lack of light can be eliminated to thereby provide a satisfactory picture quality.
Also, there have been increasing photographers who use a microphone having a high performance in order to improve the quality of sound in addition to the picture quality. In use, the battery coupler and the high-performance microphone are mounted onto a shoe for accessory mounting arranged on a camera main body.
2 In general, the VTR integral with a camera, an electronic still camera and the like consume a relatively larger amount of electric power. This requires a battery which is capable of supplying a relatively larger amount of electric power. And, in view of running costs, and exclusive, chargeable battery (which is referred hereinafter to as a battery simply) is used in most of cases. This battery can be charged and used successively after it is used (discharged) for a predetermined period of time.
To charge the battery, at first, a plug of battery charger is electrically connected to an AC socket outlet, and then the battery is removed from the camera main body and set to the battery charger. After the battery is set to the battery charger, normally in the lapse of 1 to 2 hours the charging of the battery is completed. Then the battery is disconnected from the battery charger and is mounted to the camera main body again. After then, the plug of the battery charger is removed from the AC socket outlet and the battery charger is then stored. This completes a series of battery charging operations.
3 Further, in the battery coupler discussed above in 1 as disclosed in Publication of Laid-open Utility Model Application (Jikkai) No. 61-100078, for example, a video light mounting plate is mounted to a mounting shoe provided on the camera main body and a contact on the video light side disposed in the mounting plate is connected to another contact on the camera main body disposed in the mounting shoe, so that the video light can be turned on by means of a battery provided on the camera main body.
Referring now to FIG. 17, there is shown another conventional battery coupler with battery which comprises 2 halogen lamps 12 disposed in the front portion of a casing 10 and a video light battery 14 disposed in the rear portion of the casing 10. The video light battery 14 and the halogen lamps 12 can be electrically connected or can be brought into electrically engageable connection with each other by operating a mode change-over switch 16 which is provided in the casing 10. Here, numeral 18 designates a switch which is used to change over one mode into another mode or vice versa; in one mode one of the halogen lamps 10 is turned on, and in another mode both of the halogen lamps 10 are turned on. 20 stands for a lock lever for the video light battery 14.
In the bottom portion of the battery coupler constructed in this manner, there is disposed a mounting plate 22, through which plate 22 the battery coupler can be mounted onto a mounting shoe (not shown) disposed in the main body of a VTR integral with a camera.
Also, the battery coupler shown in FIG. 17 further comprises a connecting cord 24. The connecting cord 24 can be connected to a terminal (not shown) of the VTR integral with a camera to thereby receive an electric signal from the VTR integral with a camera, and the thus received electric signal can be used to turn on the halogen lamp(s) 12. For this reason, for example, when the VTR integral with a camera is in its (stand-by) state or in its (REC) state, the halogen lamp 12 is automatically turned on.
However, the above-mentioned prior art battery couplers respectively have problems as follows:
1's problem:
In recent years, VHS-C type and 8 mm video tape recorders have been conspicuously reduced in size but, however, as a result of the reduction in size, some of such video tape recorders are not provided with a shoe for mounting accessories. For this reason, even if a photographer wishes to obtain an excellent picture quality or an excellent sound, or even if the photographer wishes to enjoy both a moving picture and a still picture as the case may be, a battery coupler, a high-performance microphone, a silver salt camera or the like cannot be mounted to a camera main body.
The present invention is developed in view of the above-mentioned problem found in the 1 coupler. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a battery coupler which allows mounting of a battery coupler, a high-performance microphone, a box-type simple camera or the like even to an 8 mm video tape recorder and the like which does not have a shoe for mounting accessories.
2's problems:
In order to simplify the above-mentioned series of battery charging operations, the battery may be contained in the camera main body, or the battery charger as well as the battery may be contained in the camera main body. This can save the loading and unloading of the battery and thus the battery charging operations can be simplified.
However, if the battery or the battery charger together with the battery is contained within the camera main body, then in long successive photographing or the like spare batteries cannot be substituted sequentially for such photographing. This means that, with this type of battery coupler, such long successive photographing cannot be realized.
On the other hand, an integral unit consisting of a battery and a battery charger has already been proposed. However, in this case, when a plurality of batteries are used by a photographer, the batteries are costly because each of the batteries is accompanied by a battery charger.
Further, for long-time photographing, it is also possible to use 6 UM-3 batteries after they are stored within the battery case. In this case, however, a photographer must carry the battery case separately from the camera main body and, therefore, the battery case is difficult to carry.
The present invention aims at eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks found in the prior art. Accordingly, it is another object of the invention to provide a battery coupler which allows simplified battery charging operations, can be applied to long-time photographing in which a plurality of batteries are used sequentially, and eliminates the need to carry a battery case.
3's problems:
Recently, VHS-C type video tape recorders, 8 mm video tape recorders and the like have been conspicuously reduced in size and, with the reduction in size, the capacity of a battery used in such video tape recorders can be reduced. However, in such video tape recorders, it is not possible to turn on a battery coupler by means of a battery or batteries inserted in a camera main body.
Also, a battery coupler with battery as shown in FIG. 17 weights about 300 g-500 g. When this battery coupler is mounted to a mounting shoe of a compact VTR integral with a camera, then it is disposed in the relatively upper portion of the compact VTR integral with a camera. Due to such position, the battery coupler is unbalanced in weight with the result that images cannot be photographed in a stable manner.
Further, a mounting shoe provided in a recent compact-type video tape recorder integral with a camera is arranged such that only a light part such as an external microphone or the like can be mounted to such mounting shoe. And, there is also available a compact-type video tape recorder integral with a camera which is not equipped with a mounting shoe. In these compact-type video tape recorders there arises a problem that a battery coupler cannot be mounted to them.
In addition, in these video tape recorders there requires the connecting cord 24 in order to control the turning-on of the halogen lamp 12. When carrying the video tape recorder, the connecting cord 24 provides an obstacle, that is, these recorders are lacking in portability.
The present invention aims at eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks found in the prior art. Accordingly, it is still another object of the invention to provide a battery coupler which has a video light adapted for a compact-type video tape recorder integral with a camera such as an 8 mm video tape recorder and the like.